Top Democrats asked federal watchdogs Wednesday to investigate what safeguards have been baked into the Trump administration’s financial stakes in private mining companies.
Sen. Martin Heinrich, ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Rep. Jared Huffman, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, called on the Government Accountability Office to probe the deals and potential conflicts of interest.
The lawmakers in the letter raised specific concern about the agencies invoking an executive order President Donald Trump inked last year to boost mineral production and processing in the U.S. and among allied countries. The directive includes language that allows agencies to waive specific requirements to boost domestic mineral production given the administration has declared national energy emergency.
Huffman and Heinrich expressed concern in the letter to Orice Williams Brown, acting comptroller general, that agencies are waiving rules to assess financial risk and protect taxpayers, as well as manage potential conflict of interest.
